Draftees Reed, Davis take BP with Astros
HOUSTON -- The Astros' second-round Draft pick, A.J. Reed, and third-round pick, J.D. Davis, both of whom are now officially members of the organization, took batting practice at Minute Maid Park on Thursday as part of the team's pregame hitting groups.
Reed signed officially on Wednesday, and Davis signed on Thursday. Both will begin their pro career at short-season Tri-City -- Reed starting at first base, Davis starting at third base.
"It's a dream come true," said Davis, who was drafted out of Cal State Fullerton. "I had a chance to [sign] in high school and it fell through, and now it's finally inked. It's still unreal. It hasn't soaked in yet. I can't wait to get out there and start playing."
Reed, who hit 22 homers for Kentucky this season to lead the NCAA, took batting practice off manager Bo Porter and hit a few into the seats. Porter challenged him to hit one over Tal's Hill in center, and Reed put it about two feet from the base of the wall.
"It was fun," Reed said. "All the guys were joking around and stuff. It took a round or two to get going. I got used to it and hit a couple of balls hard. That was fun."
Davis admitted that it was nerve-wracking to hit so many Major Leaguers, photographers and members of the front office watching him.
"Once I got a few swings in, I got a little comfortable and starting letting loose," Davis said. "You see some guys you've watched on TV, and you look up and pattern your game after them. It's kind of nice just to sit back and watch and hit with and take ground balls with them."
Davis hit .338 with 16 doubles, six homers and 43 RBIs as a junior at Cal State Fullerton and was the MVP of the 2013 Cape Cod League All-Star Game. Reed is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the college player of the year.
"If there are players that tend to advance quickly, it's usually college hitters, especially those who have had a lot of success," scouting director Mike Elias said. "Everybody moves at their pace. Each of these guys has things they have to work on that might slow them compared to other parts of their games."